Method and system for utilizing switched digital video (sdv) for delivering dynamically encoded video content

ABSTRACT

A server may be used to handle at least some of processing of content that is based on web access operations initiated in a set-top box (STB), wherein one or more links between the server and the STB that are used to forward multimedia broadcasts are configured to free bandwidth for communicating at least a portion of the processed content to the STB. The bandwidth may be freed based on switched digital video (SDV) and/or dedicated IPTV channels or systems. The broadcast links may be reconfigured based on monitoring of multimedia broadcast access by the STB and/or one or more other STBs. The freed bandwidth in the multimedia broadcast links may be configured for unicast transport of processed content to a specific STB, or may be configured for multicast transport of the processed content to a plurality of STBs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application also makes reference to:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22844US01) which was filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22845US01) which was filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22846US01) which was filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22847US01) which was filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22849US01) which was filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22850US01) which was filed on even date herewith;U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22851US01) which was filed on even date herewith; andU.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket Number22852US01) which was filed on even date herewith.

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[Not Applicable].

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

[Not Applicable].

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to networking. Morespecifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a methodand system for utilizing Switched Digital Video (SDV) for deliveringdynamically encoded video content.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the continuous growth of on-line businesses, social networks, andother on-line services and applications, a user may want a larger numberof places or locations from which to access the Internet in a mannerthat is flexible and/or suits the user's lifestyle. Most users currentlyconnect to the Internet using a web browser running on a personalcomputer. While only a portion of homes have a computer, most homes havea television, and in many instances, multiple televisions. Therefore,rather than using a computer to access the Internet, a user may find itmore convenient to use the flat screen televisions and/or monitors inhomes for the same purpose. To do so, a set-top-box (STB) connected to,for example, a flat screen television may be provided with web browsingsoftware and protocols, and Internet connectivity, which may enable theuser to easily access the Internet or check their electronic mail(email), for example, from a convenient and comfortable location such astheir living room.

There may be instances, however, in which the STB may not be configuredto support and/or capable of processing certain content in a web page.Moreover, there may be instances in which the latency associated withrendering or displaying certain content in a web page may be longbecause of the processing capabilities of the STB. This may affect theoverall experience of the user.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method is provided for utilizing dedicated videotransport channels and systems (e.g. SDV or dedicated IPTV channels andsystems) for delivering dynamically encoded multimedia content,comprising, for example, Internet video, substantially as shown inand/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as setforth more completely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system thatprovides offloaded content processing by support servers during webaccess via a set-top-box (STB), in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary web page withmultiple content types that is to be displayed by a local web browser ina set-top-box (STB), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system that utilizesswitched digital video (SDV) based architecture to free bandwidth, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary server that utilizesswitched digital video (SDV) for delivering dynamically encoded videocontent during web browsing via a set-top-box (STB), in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart that illustrates exemplary steps for usingswitched digital video (SDV) for delivering dynamically encoded videocontent during web browsing via a set-top-box (STB), in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and systemfor utilizing dedicated video transport channels and systems, such asSwitched Digital Video (SDV) or IPTV channels and systems, fordelivering dynamically encoded Internet multimedia content, such asInternet video. In various embodiments of the invention, a server may beoperable to handle at least some of the processing of content for webinitiated access operations in a set-top box (STB). The plurality ofbroadcast links between the server and the serviced STB, which are usedto forward multimedia broadcasts, are configured to free bandwidth forcommunicating at least a portion of the processed content. Exemplarymultimedia broadcasts comprise cable television (CATV) broadcasts andInternet Protocol television (IPTV) broadcasts. The processing handledin the server may comprise converting content that is unsupported viathe STB to video content that is supported via the STB. For example, thebandwidth may be freed using switched digital video (SDV) for thechannels, which are utilized for communication of the multimediabroadcasts that are unwatched and/or infrequently utilized. Thebroadcast links may be reconfigured based on monitoring of multimediabroadcast access by the STB and/or one or more other STBs. The freedbandwidth in the broadcast links may be configured for unicast transportof processed content to a specific STB, or may be configured formulticast transport of the processed content to a plurality of STBs.

Resources and/or applications used in the server during the processingare based on the configuring of the plurality of broadcast links.Furthermore, the resources and/or applications may be reconfiguringbased on changes in freed bandwidth in the plurality of broadcast links.Some of the resources and/or applications may support encoding videocontent generated based on content processing handled in the server, andthe video encoding may be dynamically modified based on changes in thefreed bandwidth in the plurality of broadcast links based on changes inthe freed bandwidth in the plurality of broadcast links.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system thatprovides offloaded content processing by support servers during webaccess via a set-top-box (STB), in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 1A, there is shown a location 100 withinwhich may be disposed a television 102, an STB 104, a local supportlocal server 106, and a broadband connection 108. Also shown in FIG. 1Ais a cable television (CATV) headend 130, an Internet Protocoltelevision (IPTV) headend 140, and a computing cloud 110, which maycoupled to the location 100 via a broadband connection 114, and a webserver 120.

The location 100 may be a residence (e.g. home or apartment), abusiness, a school, a library, and/or other like setting in which a usermay want to access the Internet and/or check their electronic mail(email). The position or placement of the television set 102, the STB104, and/or the local support local server 106 within the location 100may be based on user convenience and/or lifestyle. For example, whenlocation 100 is a residence, the television set 102 and the STB 104 maybe located in a bedroom, a family room, or an entertainment room. Inanother example, when location 100 is a business or a public building,the television set 102 and the STB 104 may be located in a conferenceroom. The local support local server 106 may be located nearby (forexample, in the same room) the television set 102 and the STB 104 or maybe located remotely (for example, in another room or nearby building)from the television set 102 and the STB 104. The broadband connection108 may provide a wired connection that communicatively couples two ormore devices within the location 100 utilizing, for example, coaxialcables. In addition to wired connectivity, a portion of the broadbandconnection 108 may also provide wireless connectivity between two ormore devices within the location 100, utilizing, for example, WiFilinks.

The television set 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to receive signals from which todisplay images (for example, moving images) that are typicallyaccompanied by sound. The television 100 may be based on, for example,cathode ray tube (CRT) technology, plasma technology, liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) technology, and/or light emitting diode (LED) backlit LCDtechnology. The television set 102 may be operable to support one ormultiple technical standards such as digital television (DTV) andhigh-definition television (HDTV), for example. The resolution of thescreen or display portion of the television set 102 may be based on thetechnical standard supported by the television set 102. For example, forHDTV, the resolution of the screen may be 720p, 1080i, or 1080p, wherethe numeral indicates the vertical resolution of the screen, the letter“p” refers to progressive-scan format, and the letter “i” refers tointerlaced-scan format.

The STB 104 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code, and/orinterfaces that may be operable to connect the television set 102 to anexternal source of signals, and/or may be operable to convert thosesignals into content that may be displayed, for example, by thetelevision set 102. The STB 104 may also be operable to provideprocessing associated with managing, delivering, and/or storing videocontent that may be displayed on the television set 102. In an exemplaryaspect of the invention, the STB 104 may be operable to run a webbrowser that may be displayed on the screen of the television set 102,for user interaction. A web browser is typically a software applicationthat may enable a user to retrieve, present, or review informationresources available on, for example, the World Wide Web (“the Web”). Aninformation resource may comprise a web page, an image, video, text,graphics, and/or other type of multimedia content, for example. A webbrowser may also be utilized to access information that is provided byweb servers in private networks and/or files in file systems. Examplesof web browsers may comprise Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, AppleSafari, Google Chrome, Opera, and/or browsers that may be native orcustom-made for the STB 104.

Information resources may be brought to the user via the web browserwhen the user inputs a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) into the webbrowser. In this regard, the prefix of the URI may be utilized todetermine how to interpret the URI. For example, a URI that starts with“http:” may identify a resource to be retrieved over Hypertext TransferProtocol (HTTP). Other prefixes that may be supported include “https:”for HTTP Secure (HTTPS), “ftp:” for the File Transfer Protocol (FTP),and “file:” for local files, for example. A Uniform Resource Locator(URL) is typically a subset of the URI that specifies the location wherean information resource is available for retrieval and/or the mechanismfor retrieval. Once the information resource has been retrieved, the webbrowser may be operable to display it. For example, HyperText MarkupLanguage (HTML) may be passed to a layout engine in the web browser tobe transformed from markup representation to an interactive document. Inaddition to HTML, web browsers may display different types of content ona web page. For example, web browsers may display images, audio, video,and/or Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, and often comprise and/orsupport certain plug-ins for, for example, Flash applications and/orJava applets. In one embodiment of the invention, in instances when afile of an unsupported type or a file that is set up to be downloadedrather than displayed is encountered, the browser may prompt the user tosave the file to fixed and/or removable memory storage, for example, amemory in the set-top-box. In another embodiment of the invention, theweb browser may present one or more requests to the local support localserver 106 or to a server in the computing cloud 110 to assist withhandling at least a portion of the unsupported content.

The local support local server 106 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable support at leastsome of the processing otherwise required by the STB 104. In thisregard, the local support local server 106 may run and/or executecertain software applications that may be accessible from the STB 104via the broadband connection 108. For example, the local support localserver 106 may be operable to provide support to the web browsingoperations provided by the STB 104. The local support local server 106may be implemented in a computing device, comprising for example apersonal computer, laptop, tablet; and/or in a networking device,comprising for example, a router, which may provide processingcapabilities that are sufficient for performing particular softwareapplications. For example, in instances when the local support localserver 106 is utilized to support web browsing operations in the STB104, the processing capabilities in the local support local server 106may be sufficient to run or execute software applications that providesuch support.

The computing cloud 110 may comprise a plurality of servers and/orcomputing devices associated with providing various services offered bythe Internet. In this regard, the term ‘cloud’ typically refers to theInternet and is based on the graphical depiction of the Internet as acloud in computer network diagrams to represent the underlyinginfrastructure of the Internet. The servers in the computing cloud 110may be utilized to provide reliable services that may be deliveredthrough individual servers and/or data centers, for example. Thecomputing cloud 110 may appear, to a user or to a location (for example,location 100), as a single point of access to services and/or resourcesthat may be provided by the computing cloud 110. The servers in thecomputing cloud 110 may comprise, for example, applications servers thatmay be dedicated to running certain software applications and/or webservers (e.g. the web server 120) to which HTTP clients may connect tosend commands and receive responses along with data content. Forexample, a remote server 112, in the computing cloud 110 may be utilizedto support web browsing operations in the STB 104, performingsubstantially similar tasks and/or services that otherwise performed bythe local server 106. In such instances, the remote server 112 in thecomputing cloud 110 may have processing capabilities sufficient to runor execute software applications that provide such support.

The server 112 may also be referred to as a render server or an STBassistance server, for example, to indicate that the remote server 112may be operable to assist the STB 104 to render web content. Whether theremote server 112 in the computing cloud 110 or the local server 106 isutilized to support web browsing operations in the STB 104 may depend,at least in part, on the amount of latency that may be acceptable to auser when having web browsing operations in the STB 104, such as therendering of a web page, for example, be supported or assisted byanother resource. In this regard, a local resource (for example, thelocal server 106) may have lower latency than a remote resource (forexample, the remote server 112 in computing cloud 110). Whether theremote server 112 in the computing cloud 110 or the local server 106 isutilized to support web browsing operations in the STB 104 may alsodepend on, for example, availability of the local server 106, availableresources on the local server 106, and/or the processing capabilitiesand the type of support that may be provided by the remote server 112.

The remote server 112 need not be physically collocated with a webserver. Accordingly, in some embodiments of the invention, the remoteserver 112 may be situated in a different location from the web server.The broadband connection 114 may provide connectivity between thecomputing cloud 110, and/or devices therein, and serviced users and/orlocation, such as location 100. In this regard, the broadband connection114 may utilize wired connectivity that communicatively couples one ormore devices in the computing cloud 110, and/or devices therein (e.g.the remote server 112), with serviced locations (e.g., location 100),utilizing, for example, coaxial cables. The broadband connection 114, ora portion thereof, may also be provided utilizing wireless connectivityutilizing, via, WiFi and/or WiMax links.

The web server 120 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code, and/orinterfaces that may be operable to deliver to a client (for example, theSTB 104) web pages (for example, HTML documents) and associated content(for example, images, style sheets, JavaScripts). When a client requestsa specific information resource using HTTP, the web server 120 mayrespond by providing the content associated with that informationresource. A full implementation of HTTP may enable the web server 120 toreceive content from a client.

The CATV headend 130 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, code,and/or interfaces that may enable broadcast of cable television. In thisregard, the CATV headend 130 may be operable to communicate analogand/or digital formatted signals carrying, for example, a plurality ofCATV channels. Broadcasts from the CATV headend 130 may be carried viaone or more distribution networks, each of which may be operable toconvey or forward content from the CATV headend 130 to a plurality ofcable-TV subscribers, comprising, for example, location 100. Exemplarydistribution networks may comprise fiber-optics based networks and/orcoaxial cable based networks that may provide connectivity between oneor both of the CATV headend 130 and the location. For example, at leasta portion of the computing cloud 110 may be utilized as a distributionnetwork for communicating CATV broadcasts from the CATV headend 130 tothe location 100. In this regard, the remote server 112 may be utilized,for example, to receive CAW broadcast and forward them to plurality oflocations, including location 100, via a dedicated CAW connection 132.

The Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) headend 140 may comprisesuitable circuitry, logic, code, and/or interfaces that may providemultimedia/TV broadcasts over broadband connections. In this regard, theIPTV headend 140 may communicate TV broadcasts via a system ofinterconnected networks that enable exchange of data and/or informationamong a plurality of nodes, based on one or more networking standards,such as TCP/IP. TV broadcasts from the IPTV headend 140 may be carriedvia, for example, a plurality of broadband capable networks orsub-networks, which may comprise, satellite networks, cable networks,DVB networks, the Internet, and/or other local or wide area networks,which collectively may enable messaging and/or traffic carrying TVcontent to a plurality of IPTV subscribers, including, for example,location 100, via the broadband connection 114.

In operation, a user may decide to access a web page via a web browserin the STB 104 that is being displayed in the television set 102 whilecomfortably sitting in his/her living room. The user may submit a URL tothe web browser, which in turn sends a request for the informationresource associated with that URL to a web server, such as the webserver 120. The web server 120 may pass the HTML and/or related contentor information associated with the URL to the STB 104. The STB 104 mayperform a pre-fetch operation of the web page information provided bythe web server 120 to determine the type of content (for example,supported or unsupported content) that is comprised within the web page.The STB 104 may be operable to perform the pre-fetch operation as abackground process, for example. For example, the web browser in the STB104 may not be capable of providing support for certain content (forexample, binary plug-ins) because such content is not native to theprocessor being utilized in the STB 104. For example, plug-ins that havebeen developed or coded for execution in an x86-based processorarchitecture may not be supported in a STB having a processor based on aMicroprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages (MIPS) architecture.In such instances, changing the set-top-box design and/or providing anemulator of the x86-based processor in the set-top-box may beprohibitive.

In instances when certain portions of the web page may not be supportedby the web browser provided in the STB 104, the STB 104 may send one ormore requests to a server that is operable to provide web browsingsupport to the STB 104. The unsupported portions may comprise, forexample, sections requiring a plug-in. In this regard, the STB 104 maysend requests via an upper link to the local server 106 and/or to theremote server 112 in the computing cloud 110. The request may compriseinformation regarding the URL associated with the unsupported content,the size of the unsupported content in the web browser, and/or eventsassociated with the unsupported content. Once such information isreceived by the server providing web browsing support to the STB 104,the server may in turn request and obtain the unsupported content fromthe corresponding web server 120, may process the unsupported content,and may encode the processed content into a format that may be receivedby the STB 104. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, theprocessed content may be encoded with a low latency encoder protocolsuch as H.264/Advanced Audio Coding (ACC). In this regard, the serverproviding web browsing support to the STB 104 may be operable totranscode or provide direct conversion from one encoding format toanother encoding format. The transcoding may comprise changing thebitstream format of one file to another bitstream format withoutundergoing a decoding and re-encoding process.

The resulting audio and video (A/V) content produced at the server maythen be streamed to the STB 104, which in turn decodes the A/V streamand renders the resulting information in the appropriate portion of theweb page to composite the complete web page. The portions of the webpage that are supported by the web browser in the STB 104 may berendered before or concurrently with the information provided by theserver. In other words, the data provided by the server may be sent tothe STB 104 when needed to composite the complete page according to apredetermined approach or scheme. Once the user moves away from thatparticular web page, the server may terminate the jobs related to thatweb page.

The STB 104 may also be operable to have all web page content handled byserver(s) providing web browsing support to the STB 104. In suchembodiments, the support server(s) may receive the URL informationassociated with the web page from the STB 104 and may in turn requestthe contents of the web page from the web server 120. The server maythen encode the information in a format that may be received by the STB104 and may stream the A/V content to the STB 104 to composite thecomplete web page. Although the STB 104 with a broadband connectioncapability is illustrated in FIG. 1A for full internet experience, theinvention may not be so limited. Accordingly, instead of the STB 104,the television set 102 itself with a broadband connection capability forfull Internet experience may be supported without departing from thespirit and scope of various embodiments of the invention.

In an exemplary aspect of the invention, at least some of serversutilized to service STBs during, for example, web access operations, maybe utilized to forward television broadcasts comprising, for example,CATV and/or IPTV. For example, the remote server 112 may be utilized toforward CATV broadcasts from the CATV headend 130 and/or IPTV broadcastsfrom the IPTV headend 140. In this regard, the remote server 112 may beoperable to forward CATV broadcasts to a plurality of locations,including location 100, utilizing CATV connection 132. To furtherenhance web access servicing operations, support servers may utilizebroadcast connections, such as the CATV connection 132, to transportprocessed content to serviced STBs. In this regard, the remote server112 may utilize, for example, the CATV connection 132 to communicate atleast a portion of the content processed for web access operations inthe STB 104.

In various embodiments of the invention, the support servers may beoperable to configure available broadcast links to free bandwidth thatmay be utilized to transport processed content during STB servicingoperations. For example, in instances when the remote server 112 isutilized to forward CATV broadcasts from the CATV headend 130 to, interalia, location 100; the remote server 112 may free bandwidth in the CATVconnection 132. The freed bandwidth may then be utilized by the remoteserver 112 to communicate at least some of content processed in theremote server 112 for web access operation in the STB 104 to the STB 104via the CATV connection 132. In this regard, the remote server 112 mayutilize, for example, switched digital video (SDV) based techniques toenable freeing bandwidth in the CATV connection 132. In switched digitalvideo (SDV) based infrastructures, number of channels that aredetermined to be unwatched and/or infrequently watched may be removedfrom the pool of available broadcast channel, thus freeing somebandwidth. This freed bandwidth may be utilized for the delivery ofcontent resulting from web initiated accessed by the STB. Varioustechniques may be utilized to determine what channels are unwatchedand/or are infrequently watched, including, for example, statisticalanalysis and/or be requiring subscribers to communicate channel requestsignals thus enabling tracking channel use. Similarly, bandwidth inbroadband connections utilized for IPTV broadcasts, for example, mayalso be freed using dedicated IPTV channels and/or systems to facilitatedelivery of encoded content resulting from, for example, web initiatedaccess by the STB.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary web page withmultiple content types that is to be displayed by a local web browser ina set-top-box (STB), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.Referring to FIG. 1B, there is shown a web browser 150 in which a webpage 160 is to be displayed or rendered. The web browser 150 maycomprise certain user interface elements 152 (for example, back,forward, reload, stop, home) that may be utilized for navigation and/oroperation, and an address bar 154 that may be utilized to submit a URI.

The web page 160 to be displayed in the web browser 150 may comprisedifferent types of contents. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1B, theweb page 160 may comprise a text portion 162, a text and graphicsportion 164, a graphics portion 166, and an unsupported (for example,plug-ins) portion 170. When the STB performs a pre-fetch operation todetermine the types of content in the web page, it may determine thatthe unsupported portion 170 may be a portion of the web page for whichthe STB may need support from a sever. In this regard, the STB mayidentify the unsupported portion 170 to a server via a request forassistance. The server may then process the unsupported portion 170 andmay subsequently provide the processed content associated with theunsupported portion 170 back to the STB in a format that the STB mayutilize to composite the web page 160 in the web browser 150.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system that utilizesswitched digital video (SDV) based architecture to free bandwidth, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2,there is shown a plurality of locations 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n,comprising a plurality of STBs 204 a, 204 b, 204 n. Also shown in FIG. 2is a server 210 that utilizes a connection 212 to communicate digitaltelevision broadcast that may comprise CATV broadcasts, which maycomprise a plurality of CATV channels 220.

Each of the plurality of locations 200 a, 200 b, 200 n may be similar tolocation 100, substantially as described with regard to, for example,FIG. 1A. In this regard, the plurality of locations 200 a, 200 b, . . ., 200 n may correspond to a plurality of CATV subscribers which mayreceive CATV broadcasts via the server 210, over the CATV connection212. Each of the plurality of STBs 204 a, 204 b, . . . , 204 n may besimilar to the STB 104, substantially as described with regard to, forexample, FIG. 1A. In this regard, each of the plurality of STBs 204 a,204 b, . . . , 204 n may enable reception of, for example, CATVbroadcasts received from the server 210, via the CATV connection 212. Inaddition, at least some of the plurality of STBs 204 a, 204 b, . . . ,204 n may also support web access operations, for example, which may beserviced by the server 210, substantially as described with regard toFIG. 1A.

The server 210 may be similar to the remote server 112, substantially asdescribed with regard to FIG. 1A. In this regard, the server 210 maycomprise suitable circuitry, logic, code, and/or interfaces that may beoperable to communicate CATV broadcasts to a plurality of subscribersvia the CATV connection 212. The server 210 may also be operable toservice web access operations performed in STBs.

In operation, the server 210 may be used within a CATV architecture toforward CATV broadcasts to subscribers. In this regard, the server 210may receive CATV broadcasts from, for example, one or more instances ofthe CATV headend 130. The CATV broadcasts may be communicated to CATVsubscribers, in the plurality of locations 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 nfor example, via the CATV connection 212. The CATV broadcasts forwardedvia the CATV connection may comprise the plurality of CATV channels 220.The plurality of CATV channels may comprise channels that are accessibleby subscribers. In some instances, however, some of the channels in theplurality of CATV channels 220 may be accessible only by certainsubscribers and/or at certain times, either as part of extra-costpackages (e.g. movie channels, such as HBO) or on individual, one-timeuse basis (e.g. video-on-demand and/or pay-per-view).

The server 210 may also be operable to service web access operationsperformed in one or more of the plurality of STBs 204 a, 204 b, . . . ,204 n. For example, the STB 204 a in the location 200 a may be utilizedfor web access operations, wherein one or more browsers may be run viathe STB 204 a. In this regard, the server 210 may be utilized to processat least some of the content of the web browser(s) run in the STB 204 a,comprising, for example, content corresponding to unsupported plug-ins.The content processed via the server 210 may be communicated, forexample, via a dedicated broadband connection (not shown) between theserver 210 and the STB 204 a.

In an exemplary aspect of the invention, however, at least some of thecontent processed via the server 210 may be transported via the CATVconnection 220. In this regard, the processed content may bepiggybacked, for example, on top of CATV broadcasts forwarded from theserver 210 via the CATV connection, using available bandwidth. Invarious embodiments of the invention, bandwidth may be freed and/or madeavailable in broadcast links, such as the CATV connection 212, tofacilitate transportation of processed content via the broadcast linksduring servicing of web access operations by the STBs. For example, thesetup shown in FIG. 2, comprising the server 200 and the plurality oflocations 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n, may be implemented utilizingswitched digital video (SDV). The use of switched digital video (SDV)may enable, for example, the us of variable delivery of content, whereinrather than combining all the channels that may be accessed by all thesubscribers at any point into the broadcast stream throughout thenetwork, only a subset of channels are utilized for conveying webinitiated access content. For example, only the most popular channels orchannels with high utilization (e.g., shown as un-shaded blocks withinthe CATV connection 212) are included in the regular, network-widebroadcast streams. The less popular channels or channels withutilization (shown as shaded blocks), comprising, for example, unused,unwatched, and/or are infrequently viewed channels are not included intobroadcast stream, thus freeing bandwidth that would have otherwise beenused for them. Furthermore, a portion of the broadcast stream may beallocated to and/or shared by the less popular channels, and time slotswithin that portion may be used only when one of the less popularchannels is requested by a subscriber, for example. Similarly, ininstances where the plurality of STBs 204 a, 204 b, . . . , 204 n may beoperable to receive IPTV broadcasts, via the server 210 for example,bandwidth in broadband connections utilized for the IPTV broadcasts maybe freed using dedicated IPTV channels and systems to facilitatedelivery of content, encoded in the server 210 to support web initiatedaccessed by the STBs for example, substantially in similar manner to useof SDV described herein.

Various methods may be utilized to classify channels that may be carriedvia the broadcasts streams as popular/watched or unpopular channels.Providers may conduct, for example, statistical analysis, which may berepeated periodically to classify channels into various groups based onthe viewership frequency. Unwatched and/or infrequently viewed channelsmay only be made available when requested, by the STB based on userinput for example. Once the infrequently channels viewing is over (e.g.channel is changed), the infrequently used channel may be removed againfrom the broadcast stream. The providers may also maintain databases totrack channel request to help classify channels as popular or unpopularchannels. Furthermore, providers may also group subscribers into logicalgroups to enable adding channels, on per-request basis, only within aspecific area rather than network-wide.

Once bandwidth is freed using SDV mechanisms, the free bandwidth may beutilized to communicate processed content during servicing of STBinitiated web access operations. For example, bandwidth that wouldotherwise be allocated for less popular channels (e.g. unwatchedchannels and/or view-on-demand channels), may instead be allocated totransport of processed content from the server 210 to the STB 204 aduring web access operations via the STB 304 a in the location 200 a.The bandwidth used for transporting processed content may allocated as adedicated channel so that only a specific subscriber may be able toaccess it. In this regard, built in functionality that support similarconnectivity in CATV broadcast (e.g., pay-per-view) may be utilized toensure that only the target user is able to receive the processedcontent. In some instances, a group of subscribers may be allowed toaccess the same processed content, to facilitate multicast transport ofprocessed content. The SDV architecture may also allow switching ofprocessed content, which may comprise A/V streams, into existingchannels. For example, if the processed content comprises MPEG-4 encodedcontent, that content may be switched into existing CATV channels thatmay be MPEG-2 encoded using existing support infrastructure that isotherwise utilized to support dual-carry services in SDV based systems.

The CATV connection 212 may also be utilized to enable uplinkconnectivity, during web access operations in STBs serviced by theserver 210. In this regard, existing uplink channels, that may beutilized to for communicating CATV subscribers' inputs and/or requests,may be utilized to facilitate communicating user's input and/or requestsfor web initiated access operations via the STBs. For example, messagingcorresponding to mouse movement in a web browser running in STB 204 amay be communicated via the CATV connection 212 to the server 210, andthen to a web server (not shown) for example, using existing uplinkchannels in the CATV connection 212. Alternatively, uplink communicationmay be conducted over separate and dedicated broadband connection.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary server that utilizesswitched digital video (SDV) for delivering dynamically encoded videocontent during web browsing via a set-top-box (STB), in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown aserver 300, a host system 302, a host processor 304, a host memory 306,a system bus 310, a security system 320, an interfacing system 330, aninterfacing processor 332, an interfacing memory 334, a plurality of I/Fmodules 336 a, . . . , 336 n, and application processor 340.

The server 300 may be similar to the server 210, substantially asdescribed with regard to FIG. 2. In this regard, server 300 may comprisesuitable logic, circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operableto support forwarding television broadcasts, such as CATV broadcasts, toa plurality of subscribers. The server 300 may also comprise suitablelogic, circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that enable supporting webbrowsing operations external to set-top boxes (STBs). The server 300 maycomprise, for example, the host system 302, the system bus 310, thesecurity system 120, and/or the interfacing system 330. In an exemplaryaspect of the invention, the server 300 may be utilize switched digitalvideo (SDV) techniques to enable freeing bandwidth in broadcast basedlinks, for example CATV forwarding connection, for transporting contentprocessed during support of STB web access operations to the servicedSTBs. The server 300 may also support using dedicated IPTV channelsand/or systems to facilitate delivery of encoded content, substantiallyin similar manner to use of SDV.

The host system 302 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code, and/orinterfaces that may be operable to control and/or manage operations ofthe server 300 and/or tasks or applications performed therein. The hostsystem may comprise, for example, the host processor 304 and/or the hostmemory 306. The host processor 304 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to process dataand/or control operations of the server 300. In this regard, the hostprocessor 304 may be operable to configure and/or control operations ofvarious components and/or systems of the server 300, by providing, forexample, control signals. The host processor 304 may also control datatransfers within the server 300, during web browsing support operations,for example. The host memory 306 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that enable permanent and/or non-permanentstorage and/or fetching of data, code and/or other information used inthe server 300. In this regard, the host memory 306 may comprisedifferent memory technologies, including, for example, read-only memory(ROM), random access memory (RAM), and/or Flash memory. The host memory306 may store, for example, information comprising configuration dataused during web browsing support operations in the server 300. Theconfiguration data may comprise parameters and/or code, which maycomprise software and/or firmware, but the configuration data need notbe limited in this regard. The host processor 304 may enable executionof applications, programs and/or code, which may be stored in the hostmemory 306 for example, to enable performing various web browsingsupport operations.

The system bus 310 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code, and/orinterfaces that may enable exchange of data and/or information betweenvarious components and/or systems in the server 300. In this regard, thesystem bus may comprise different parallel or serial, and/or internal orexternal, based bus technologies, and/or any combinations thereof.Exemplary system bus interfaces may comprise Inter-Integrated Circuit(I²C), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA),Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Peripheral ComponentInterconnect (PCI), and/or Peripheral Component Interconnect Express(PCI-e) based interfaces.

The security system 320 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may perform security related operations in theserver 300. In this regard, the security system 320 may ensure securedcommunications between the server 300 and serviced STBs by providing,for example, user authentication, certificate usage, and/orcryptographic operations.

The interfacing system 330 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may enable communication of data, content, and/ormessaging from and/or to the server 300. The interfacing system 330 maysupport, for example, a plurality of physical and/or logical connectionsor interfaces. In this regard, the interfacing system 330 may comprise,for example, one or more network interface cards (NIC) and/or wirelessnetwork interface cards (WNIC), to support use of wired and/or wirelessconnections. The interfacing system 330 may comprise, for example, theinterfacing processor 332, the interfacing memory 334, and/or theplurality of I/F modules 336 a, . . . , 336 n. In an exemplary aspect ofthe invention, the interfacing system 330 may support use of CATVconnection, such as the CATV connection 212 of FIG. 2.

The interfacing processor 332 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,code, and/or interfaces that may enable dedicated control and/ormanagement of processing and/or operations in the interfacing system330. The interfacing memory 334 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,and/or code that may enable dedicated storage via the interfacing system330, to enable, for example, buffering content transmitted to STBs. Theinterfacing memory 334 may comprise one or more ROM and/or RAM memorydevices. Each of the plurality of I/F modules 336 a, . . . , 336 n maycomprise suitable logic, circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that mayenable physical transmission and/or reception based on a wired-based orwireless protocols. In an exemplary aspect of the invention, at leastone of the plurality of I/F modules 336 a, . . . , 336 n may supportphysical transmission and/or reception of signals formatted forcommunication of CATV broadcasts.

The application processor 340 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,code, and/or interfaces that may be operable to perform specificapplications and/or tasks in the server 300 during STB servicingoperations. For example, the application processor 340 may processrequests from STBs to handle at least a portion of the content of a webpage for subsequent rendering by the STBs. In this regard, theapplication processor 340 may be operable to convert and/or transcodecontent from one format into another format, using, for example, acontent encoder 350. The content encoder 350 may comprise suitablecircuitry, logic, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable totransform data processed by the application processor 340 into formatsupported by serviced STBs. For example, the application processor 340may be operable to process plug-ins unsupported by the web browser inthe serviced STB(s) and may encode such processed plug-ins with a lowlatency H.264/ACC encoder. The application processor 340 may comprise aplurality of different encoders that may be utilized to encode differenttypes of contents from a web page into different formats, for example.In some embodiments of invention, the server 300 may comprise aplurality of application processors 340, as indicated by the dashedoutlines illustrated in FIG. 3, to enable performing multipleapplications and/or tasks concurrently. Accordingly, the server 300 maybe operable to support a plurality of STBs, and/or may be operable toprovide load balancing and/or load sharing. For example, each of theplurality of application processors 340 may be configured to service aparticular STB, to process or handle specific format, and/or perform aspecific sub-task that may be necessary during web browsing supportoperations via the server 300. The application processor 340 maycomprise, for example, x86-based architecture that may supportprocessing of certain plug-ins developed or coded for execution in anx86-based processor architecture. The server 300 may also be operable toprovide, via the application processor 340, an emulator of the x86-basedprocessor to process certain content unsupported by STBs.

In operation, the server 300 may be used within a CATV basedinfrastructure to forward CATV broadcasts received from CATV head-endsto targeted subscribers, substantially as described with regard to FIG.2. The server 300 may also be used to support certain STB operations.For example, the server 300 may support web browsing via STBs byproviding, via the application processor 340, content processingcorresponding to unsupported portions 170 in a web page 160 that mayneed be rendered via the STBs, substantially as described with regard toFIGS. 1A and 1B. Furthermore, during communication of processed content,the security system 230 may provide security during interactions betweenthe server 300 and the serviced STBs and/or web servers, to ensure, forexample, that content intended for specific users is not compromisedand/or accessed by unauthorized users.

In an exemplary aspect of the invention, at least some of the contentprocessed via the server 300 may also be transported via broadcast basedlinks, such as CATV connections, supported via the interfacing system330, substantially as described with regard to FIG. 2. In this regard,the interfacing system 330, for example, may be configured to enablepiggybacking of the processed content on, for example, CATV connectionsusing available bandwidth in these connections. To further enhanceoperations of the server 300, bandwidth may be freed and/or madeavailable in broadcast based links, by reconfiguring one or more of theplurality of I/F modules 336 a, . . . , 336 n, to increase the sizeand/or transport bitrate of processed content during servicing of STBs.In this regard, switched digital video (SDV) may be used, via the hostprocessor 304 in the server 300 for example, to allow freeing bandwidthcorresponding to, for example, unused, unwatched, and/or areinfrequently viewed channels by removing these channels from the typicalCATV broadcast forwarded via interfacing system 330 of the server 300.Similarly, dedicated IPTV channels and/or systems may be used via theserver 300, substantially in similar manner, to free bandwidth inconnections which are utilized to communicate IPTV broadcasts to theSTBs via the server 300 to support dynamic encoding of content and/ordelivery of that content to serviced STBs via the server 300 duringsupport of web access by the STBs.

The freed bandwidth then may be utilized to communicate processedcontent during servicing of STB web access operations to the targetSTBs. In this regard, bandwidth that would have otherwise been allocatedin CATV connections for unwatched and/or infrequently watched channelsmay instead be used, by the host processor 304 and/or the interfacingsystem 330, to transport content processed via the application processor340. For example, one or more of the plurality of I/F modules 336 a, . .. , 336 n may be configured, by the host processor 304 and/or theinterfacing processor 332, to support transporting processed content viabroadcast based links. In some instances, the bandwidth freed in suchCATV connections for transporting the processed content may beallocated, by the host processor 304, as dedicated channels such thatonly each channel may be assigned to a specific STB. In this regard,built in functionality that support similar connectivity in CATVbroadcasts (e.g., pay-per-view) may be utilized to ensure that only thetarget STB is able to receive the processed content. In other instances,the freed bandwidth may be used to enable multicast transport ofprocessed content, to a set of STBs, by assigning the freed bandwidth,for example, to one or more channels that may be accessed based on somelogical group identifier. Availability of bandwidth via the broadcastlinks may be used to configure various components and/or operationswithin the server 300. For example, encoding operations, performed viathe content encoder 350 for example, may be configured based onavailability of bandwidth, and size thereof, in broadcast links.

The server 300 may also utilize, via the host processor 304, SDV basedswitching techniques to enable switching processed content, which may begenerating by the application processor 340 as encoded A/V streams, intoexisting CATV channels. For example, if the processed content comprisesVP6 encoded content that content may be switched into existing CATVchannels that may be MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 AVC encoded using existing supportinfrastructure that is otherwise utilized to support dual-carry servicesin SDV based systems. The server 300 may also enable uplink connectivityover CATV connection supported via the interfacing system 330 during webaccess operations in serviced STBs. In this regard, existing CATV baseduplink channels, that may be used to enable communicating CATVsubscribers' inputs and/or requests, may be utilized to facilitatecommunicating user input and/or request in the web access operationsinitiated via the STBs. Alternatively, the uplink connectivity may beprovided over separate and dedicated broadband connection, supported viathe server 300 or other servers.

The server 300 may monitor CAW related activities in connectionssupported via the interfacing system 330 to determine, for example, ifmore bandwidth may be freed and/or some of the already freed bandwidthmay be reallocated and utilized for CAW broadcast forwarding. In thisregard, the host processor 304 and/or the interfacing processor 332 mayreconfigure one or more the plurality of I/F modules 336 a, . . . , 336n based on monitoring of broadcast access by STBs that receive broadcastforwarding services via the server 300. Furthermore, changes in theamount of bandwidth available and/or freed may be used to adjust and/orreconfigure encoding operations, performed via the content encoder 350for example, to ensure that the size of generated output streams may besuitable for transport based on available bandwidth.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart that illustrates exemplary steps for usingswitched digital video (SDV) for delivering dynamically encoded videocontent during web browsing via a set-top-box (STB), in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown aflow chart 400 comprising a plurality of exemplary steps that may beperformed to enable utilizing SDV during communications of processedcontent from a server.

In step 402, a server, such as the server 300, may service a STBproviding web access by processing content that may require unsupportedplug-ins. In step 404, bandwidth required for transporting the processedcontent may be determined. In step 406, bandwidth in broadcast linksthat are used in the server 300 for forwarding, for example, CATV and/orIPTV broadcasts, may be freed using, for example, switched digital video(SDV) and/or dedicated IPTV channels or systems. In step 408, at least aportion of the processed content may be communicated to the servicedSTB(s) using the free bandwidth and/or SDV.

Various embodiments of the invention may comprise a method and systemfor utilizing Switched Digital Video (SDV) for delivering dynamicallyencoded video content. The server 300 may be used to handle at leastsome processing of content that is based on web access operations in theSTBs, such as one or more of the plurality of STBs 200 a, 200 b, . . . ,200 n. In this regard, one or more of the broadcast links that may besupported via the interfacing system 330 in the server 300, forforwarding multimedia broadcasts, may be configured to free bandwidthfor communicating at least a portion of the processed content. Exemplarymultimedia broadcasts comprise cable television (CATV) broadcasts andInternet Protocol television (IPTV) broadcasts. The processing handledin the server 300 may comprise converting content that is unsupportedvia the serviced STB to video content that is supported by that STB. Thebandwidth may be freed based on switched digital video (SDV), and atleast a portion of the freed bandwidth may correspond to unwatchedand/or infrequently watched channels in the multimedia broadcastscommunicated via the broadcast links using the switched digital video(SDV) techniques. Bandwidth may also be freed utilizing dedicated IPTVchannels and/or systems. The broadcast links may be reconfigured, by thehost processor 304 and/or the interfacing processor 332, based onmonitoring of broadcast access operations by STBs receiving broadcastscommunications via the server 300. Resources and/or applications used bythe server 300 to handle content from web initiated browsing in the STBmay be configured based on the configuration of the broadcast links.Furthermore, at least some of those resources and/or applications may bereconfigured based on changes in freed bandwidth in the broadcast links.

Another embodiment of the invention may provide a machine and/orcomputer readable storage and/or medium, having stored thereon, amachine code and/or a computer program having at least one code sectionexecutable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machineand/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for utilizingSwitched Digital Video (SDV) for delivering dynamically encoded videocontent.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method for communication, the method comprising: performing by oneor more processors and/or circuits in a server that is operable tohandle processing of content for a set-top box (STB), wherein saidcontent is derived from STB initiated Internet access: configuring oneor more links between said server and said STB to free bandwidth in saidone or more links, wherein said one or more links are utilized duringmultimedia broadcasts to said STB via said server; and communicating atleast a portion of content generated by said server based on saidprocessing of said content using said freed bandwidth.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said processing of said content comprisesconverting content that is unsupported via said STB to video contentsupported by said STB.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein saidmultimedia broadcasts comprise cable television (CATV) and/or InternetProtocol television (IPTV) broadcasts.
 4. The method according to claim1, comprising determining at least some of said freed bandwidth usingswitched digital video (SDV).
 5. The method according to claim 4,comprising freeing said at least some of said bandwidth based ondetermination of unwatched and/or infrequently watched channels in saidone or more links using said switched digital video (SDV).
 6. The methodaccording to claim 1, comprising reconfiguring said one or more linksbased on monitoring of multimedia broadcast access by said STB and/orone or more other STBs via of said one or more links.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 1, comprising configuring resources and/orapplications used in said server during said processing of said contentbased on said configuring of said one or more links.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 7, comprising reconfiguring said resources and/orapplications in said server based on changes in freed bandwidth in saidone or more links.
 9. The method according to claim 7, wherein at leastsome of said resources and/or applications are operable to encode videocontent generated based on said processing.
 10. The method according toclaim 9, comprising dynamically modifying said video content encodingbased on changes in said freed bandwidth in said one or more links. 11.A system for communication, the system comprising: one or moreprocessors and/or circuits for use in a server that is operable tohandle processing of content for a set-top box (STB), wherein saidcontent is derived from STB initiated Internet access; said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to configure one or more linksbetween said server and said STB to free bandwidth in said one or morelinks, wherein said one or more links are utilized during multimediabroadcasts to said STB via said server; and said one or more processorsand/or circuits are operable to communicate at least a portion ofcontent generated by said server based on said processing of saidcontent using said freed bandwidth.
 12. The system according to claim11, wherein said processing of said content comprises converting contentthat is unsupported via said STB to video content supported by said STB.13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said multimedia broadcastscomprise cable television (CATV) and/or Internet Protocol television(IPTV) broadcasts.
 14. The system according to claim 11, wherein saidone or more processors and/or circuits are operable to determine atleast some of said freed bandwidth using switched digital video (SDV).15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to free said at least some ofsaid bandwidth based on determination of unwatched and/or infrequentlywatched broadcast channels in said one or more links using said switcheddigital video (SDV).
 16. The system according to claim 11, wherein saidone or more processors and/or circuits are operable to reconfigure saidone or more links based on monitoring of multimedia broadcast access bysaid STB and/or one or more other STBs via of said one or more links.17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to configure resources and/orapplications used in said server during said processing of said contentbased on said configuring of said one or more links.
 18. The systemaccording to claim 17, wherein said one or more processors and/orcircuits are operable to reconfigure said resources and/or applicationsin said server based on changes in freed bandwidth in said one or morelinks.
 19. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some ofsaid resources and/or applications are operable to encode video contentgenerated based on said processing.
 20. The system according to claim19, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable todynamically modify said video content encoding based on changes in saidfreed bandwidth in said one or more links.